The Winter Classic is best when it’s played in enormous, frigid, snowy stadiums and the Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich., delivered on all counts on New Year’s Day.

In front of an announced crowd of 105,491 at Michigan Stadium, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on a shootout because, with wind chills just below zero, who doesn’t want to keep playing?

Scenes from a classic Classic:

During timeouts, there was shoveling. (Jamie Sabau / Getty Images)

Remember these images next year when the game is being played in 45-degree weather in Washington, D.C.

(Noah Graham / AP NHL Images)

The announced attendance figure would break the Guinness World record of 104,173 for a hockey game, set in 2010 at the Big House for a game between Michigan State and Michigan. Guiness, though, has not verified the new mark. “We know we sold 105,000-plus tickets,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “But we also suspect there were some no-shows because we heard stories of people taking two, two-and-a-half hours to get here from downtown.”

After spending most of her career in traditional print sports journalism, Cindy began blogging and tweeting, first as NFL/Redskins editor, and, since August 2010, at The Early Lead. She also is the social media editor for Sports.

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